Deerfield Woman Hides Murdered Roommate in Garment Bag

Broward Sheriff's Deputies found the body of a 68-year-old woman who had been murdered and stored in a garment bag after they were called to check on the woman.

The officers found a garment bag hidden inside a closet in an apartment located on 4255 Crystal Lake Drive after a friend of the victim called police telling them he had been trying to reach her for days.

The woman's roommate was arrested and charged with murder.

BSO deputies went out to the apartment twice last Thursday to check on the woman, per her friend's request. After getting no response, they returned Friday morning with a pass key.

Inside the apartment, they discovered the body inside a broom closet. The victim -- whose name has not been released -- had been gagged with her nose and mouth taped over. The body was wrapped inside a plastic bag, according to BSO.

On Saturday morning, with the help of Fort Lauderdale Police, BSO arrested the victim's roommate, 44-year-old Jacqueline Marie Luongo.

The victim's friend hadn't been able to reach her since she was released from BSO Main Jail back on August 28. According to a BSO report, the victim had been arrested for assaulting Luongo. The victim, Luongo told police at the time, had a warrant for a probation violation.

Police arrested the victim on the warrant and released her the next day.

So far, investigators don't know when exactly Luongo allegedly murdered the victim, though the report says the body had been stuffed away in the closet for several days.

Once the body was discovered, BSO homicide detectives began searching for Luongo.

Around 1 a.m. Saturday, Fort Lauderdale Police received a tip that Luongo was in Room 105 of the Crossland studio apartments at 3031 Commercial Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale.

Police arrived at the apartments and tried contacting her by phone. They also called out to her to surrender over loudspeaker. Luongo eventually came out just after 5 a.m., according to the police report.

Luongo was arrested and charged with one count of first-degree murder.